Whether you are opera-fanatical or opera-shy you simply must see George Bizet’sCarmen at least once in your life. It takes you on a roller coaster of emotions through a sumptuous score of music. If you haven’t seen Carmen before, you certainly will have heard snippets somewhere - it is so popular that it keeps our attention without the acting; Escamillo’s rousing Toreadors Song will have you humming away for weeks.

Want to explore Covent Garden's Autumn programme?

Director Francesca Zambello’s production will take you to a sun-beaten, 19th Century Seville. Don José is a young soldier who intends to marry Micaëla - a girl from his home village. But when he meets the wild and sensual Carmen, his head and heart turn to her. Based on a popular novella by Prosper Mérimée, the premiere of Carmen was a flop because of its irreverent violence and lustiness. Sadly Bizet died shortly afterwards and he never got to see just how successful this opera became – today it has been staged at Covent Garden over 500 times alone.

Anita Rachvelishvili, who made a strong impression in last year's revival, returns for the November dates. An audience favourite, her swarthy-haired charm seems to incarnate the character of Carmen, and her transfixing stage presence is second to none. Throughout October, the role will be taken by Elena Maximova, a glittering star of the Vienna stage who has only recently begun appearing in London. Take particular note of the 14 and 16 Nov performances, which feature the universally adored Jonas Kaufmann as Don Jose. Bryan Hymel, who has previously covered for Kaufmann during illness, continues his rise by playing the role through most of the season, while bright young thing Yonghoon Lee takes over for the final three nights. Short of some unanticipated change from its previous outings, this should be a excellent production of Bizet's sole masterpiece.

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TICKETING DATES

General booking for the Royal Opera House's Autumn 2015 season - which includes revivals of Carmen and The Marriage of Figaro, new productions of classics by Strauss, Gluck, Mascagni and Leoncavallo and several contemporary works - opens on 14 July. If you are a friend of the venue, however, you can book much earlier - from 2 June for Premium Level 2 friends to 17 June for plain Friends. Although few productions fully sell out, most of the best seats will, so it's useful to book well in advance.